Wishes Of A Werewolf
by LeftHandedPeopleRule
Summary: On Hiatus. This is the story of Leah Clearwater. Leah returns to La Push after travelling the world for eighteen years. She plans to reunite with the pack and settle down. There are a few complicatons, but will everthing work out? LeahXOC
1. Homecoming

******A/N: Ok this the introductory chapter for my story. I promise some more entertaining chapters but this is just to kick things off.**

******For those of you who have read this previously, I have changed a few details of this story, so that I can round the ending off properly. After all, you wouldn't want an ending that makes no sense now would you?**  


**Disclaimer: Although I deeply wish it, I do not own the Twilight Saga or any of the characters, Stephanie Meyer does.

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**Chapter 1 -****Homecoming**

Running faster than a arrow shot from a bow, I race through the forests of the Olympic Peninsula. The sun overhead is shining brilliantly but the forest floor has been cast into darkness thanks to the shadows of the towering fern trees. A cool wintry wind whips at the fur around my face, not slowing me down in the slightest. I continue to run further—the bushes and hedges are a solid green wall beside me—never looking back. The smell of brine dominates the air and several twigs snap beneath me as my paws make contact with the ground. Birds' songs sound loudly from above, their sweet melodic tunes spreading throughout the entire area. Small animals remain huddled in their burrows as I fly past them, startled by my fierce run. I'm close. I can tell. I easily dodge the next set of trees and weave through the bushes, leaping and ducking until I finally reach the edge of the forest.

The scene before me is one that I haven't seen in a while. I stare blankly, looking for any possible signs that the land before me has changed. But there are none. Everything is more or less the same. It's still the same La Push that I'd left all those years ago. The same La Push that I had once called home.

From up here I can see the majority of the tiny worn down houses that are hidden amongst the tall jade-green trees. These are the homes that belong to my people, the Quileutes and somewhere among them is my own. I close my eyes briefly, knowing that if I listen hard enough I will be able to hear the waves hit the bottom of the jagged cliffs, the children's laughter as they play on the mile long crescent otherwise known as First Beach. Even further away, I can hear the shop doors swing open and shut as customers walk both in and out of the local store. A flock of seagulls circle the sky above, obviously choosing to fly instead of wandering on the multitude of coloured pebbles on the beach. I peer out towards the horizon to St. James' Island and the other small islands that sit on the sky-line. The surrounding Pacific Ocean is sapphire blue and the blazing sun takes control the sky.

With a slight feeling of remorse I sigh and plop down onto my haunches. Of course things have changed. It's foolish of me to think any different. But it barely seems like time has passed at all. I just refuse to believe that it's been eighteen years since I was last here. Almost two whole decades in which so much has happened.

Ever since I discovered that I, along with several other Quileute youths, could morph into giant wolves my entire life has changed completely. My personality, my social life...my love life, just to name of a few.

Not that I minded being a wolf, there are several perks that eased things: the speed, the strength, the feel of belonging and the fact that I could heal almost instantaneously after being injured. However with the good comes the bad and one of many negatives is that I now know why the love of life—my childhood sweetheart, Sam Uley—broke my heart.

Imprinting is a strange bonus that comes with being a member of the my people's most exclusive club. Although our legends stated that imprinting was supposed to be rare, we soon found out about the myth when around half the pack met their match. You would see your Imprintee—the name which is given to whom ever the wolf brother imprinted upon—and the whole of universal would suddenly shift around them. Basically it's love at first sight, only on a far bigger scale. Despite the fact that most of my brothers probably won't ever imprint, this bonus isn't open to me, full stop. The obvious reason why, being that I'm a girl.

So Sam broke my heart all those years ago, along with all of his promises so he could be with his Emily, who is practically a sister to me. I had accepted this knowledge with good grace and avoided to think much about the subject, as things would become a little awkward now and then; like Sam and Emily's wedding where I was the maid of honour, for instance. But I dealt with it and moved on. What had bugged me in the past and quite frankly still bugs me now is the pity that the other pack members feel for me.

As wolves we share each others thoughts, feelings and senses, which equals to no privacy whatsoever as everything is put out on display for everyone else to see. And it blew my temper out of proportion. I became a bitter harpy who couldn't care for anyone but herself. Not only did I change but the whole pack's perspective of me altered too; they thought I was snide, egotistical and whiny, although it didn't bother me much.

What hurt me most that Sam had thought that too—despite that it was him that'd caused my cold, bitchy personality—and that knowledge had crushed my broken heart even further. At the time I knew he felt guilty for making me the way I was but now I hardly even acknowledge it. Mostly because it hurts too much. The only thing I want is for the pain to go away. But it will never happen. Not for me anyway.

No matter how much I want to imprint the chances of it actually happening is practically impssible. All because I can't pass on the ever-important "wolf gene." This immediately makes me the odd one out. The freak. I have to go out and fall in love like every other normal being. But my previous feelings for Sam will never go away. My heart aches with the pain of my grief as I think of my one and only desire.

Minutes later, when the throbbing of chest ceases, my thoughts suddenly drift to my family. How long has it been since I last saw my mother? Or my brother, for that matter? I know the answer already. Too long. Apart from the few the few occasions when I'm obliged to fulfil my duties to the pack, I hardly ever see them nowadays.

Seth is usually with Jacob, who spends most of his time with the bloodsuckers, while Sue tends to hang out wtih Charlie, the bloodsucker Bella's Dad. It's only now that I realise how much I miss them both. How I miss my mother's condescending tone and my brother's huge happy grin. Pain strikes hard in my chest yet again. My mother is now reaching her late fifties; she has to age while her kids remain forever young.

Another disadvantage of being able to transform into a wolf is that you have to watch your loved ones grow old and die. It saddens me deeply, knowing that Sue won't be there for the majority of my stretched-out life, and Seth feels the same way too. That's why he remained in La Push after graduating from high school; so he could spend as much time with our mom as humanly possible before it's too late. At least he's there to care for her whenever she needs him. Unlike me. I'm never home anymore.

I also come to the realisation that my friends too have aged and are probably married by now with a few kids, starting families of their own. Something I still can't do. I sigh. My friends have no idea how lucky they are.

For I brief moment I wonder if any of the other wolves have been able to quit the pack and start aging again. If so, I'm going to need their advice. I know what I want from life now. Finally, after eighteen years of traveling the Earth, I am finally ready to settle down and begin to lead a normal life.

I glance at the ocean again, realising that the sun has already set and that the clouds have made a reappearance and promise rain. The waters have turned black and the sky a thunderous grey. The air is even cooler now—it's around 30 degrees fahrenheit—but it doesn't bother me. I stand up lazily and shake my fur out before I start to run again. For some unfathomable reason excitement pulses through my veins as I race down the hillside much faster than I did before. There's a new feeling in the atmosphere now, one of hope. The roads of La Push are not far now. I'm almost home.

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**Well there you have it! The first installment. I can't guarantee rapid updates but reviews make it much easier to get them up here!**

**This is my first fanfic so don't be surprised by the lack of quality. Although reviews are still welcome! Opinions and ideas will be greatly appreciated. I take constrictive critisism too! **

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	2. Reunion

**Ok, this is the first official chapter to my fanfic and I hope to update as much as I possibly can. E****njoy! Reviews will be deeply appreciated! **

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**Homecoming**

Several minutes later I approached the fringe of the forest that bordered my backyard. The sky was now pitch-black and the first few raindrops had begun to fall to the ground. The wind was much fiercer than before, meaning that tonight was going to be stormy. Great. I had to do this now, not only before one of the pack finds out that I'm here but so that I don't spend the night wet and cold as well. I took a quick glance around the woods, making sure that no one was around before phasing back into my normal self. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I grabbed my jeans and t-shirt—which had been wrapped around my leg—and quickly slipped them on. Once I gained my sight back I staggered a few steps closer to the house, taking in each simple detail.

My house wasn't anything special. It was a basic wooden structure of reasonable size specifically built to deal with harsh weather conditions; i.e. the cold and the wet. It had all the essentials; nothing fancy like a home cinema or anything like that, so it's not really for those with a taste for the high life. Nevertheless I'd always found my house comfortable, a bit small but that was probably because I was so abnormally tall. I analysed my house further and from what I could tell nothing much had changed but there were a few exceptions. Somebody had fixed the leaky drainpipe and there was a fresh layer of white paint on the aging wood. When I had finished scrutinising the house, I moved around to the front so that I was now facing the front door.

A sudden wave of nausea hit me as I realised that I had no idea what to expect. All of the worries that I'd manged to keep at bay were now rushing around in my head, each one just as vicious as the last. What if I got rejected by my own family? What if I had to wander the world alone for the rest of my life? It was the worst case scenario but it could still happen. Man! What I am doing? I'm Leah Clearwater for goodness sake! Tough as nails, cold bitter Leah. I've faced vampires and brainless idiots before so why was I so afraid now? I knew why? I have always had a fear of the unknown; never knowing what the future holds. The problem was, I wasn't going to find out if I just stood here hopelessly. I have to do this now if I want to be sure of my future, there was no other way. I took the last few steps to the house and fished my key out from my little pouch-bag before hastily unlocking the door. I turned the handle slowly, taking a deep breath as I took a step inside.

"Seth?" Sue's soft voice called down the hallway.

"No mom, it's Leah." I called back in a wary voice. Behind me the door swung to a close.

I began to walk down the hallway when the sound of a mug smashing on the floor made me jump. Until now, I hadn't noticed the butterflies in my stomach. I heard my mother rush to the doorway and she stopped in her tracks when she saw me.

"Leah!" She cried as she ran into me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders—and standing on her toes in the attempt—and squeezing me tight. "Oh Leah, I can't believe your home!" Tears of joy ran down her thin wrinkled face, staining my holey shirt.

"Yep, I'm staying" I choked out as Sue was holding me too tight in her arms. I took a step back, breaking out of her hold, so I could see her face. She hadn't changed much. Her inky black hair had a bit more grey in it and was now down to her shoulders. There were a few wrinkles on her face, one or two were fairly deep but that was only because she was smiling. I really had missed my mom and I was grateful to see her healthy and happy again.

Sue placed her hands on my shoulders and beamed up at me, "Well, lets not just stand here. We'd better get you settled and then you can tell me what you've been up to."

I smiled at her subtle way of prying into my business, "Trust me mom, I wouldn't have it any other way."

We spent the next two hours catching up whilst eating some of my mother's homemade lasagna. Neither of us wanted to talk about our own experiences over the past few years so the conversation didn't last long. Instead we both ended up in the living room, where we were both now sat on the couch with the t.v on but neither one of us was watching it.

"Why didn't you tell me you was coming home?" Sue repeated herself for the fourth time since I had arrived, "You'll have to sleep on the couch or in Seth's room, until I get your room sorted out.

I considered this idea for a brief second. "I think I'll take the couch. It's gotta be better than sleeping in a toxic dump." We both laughed at this.

As I thought of my brother something struck me. Seth wasn't home. Where could he be? Was he out with the pack? If so then I wondered why no one had been around while I roaming the woods. "Speaking of Seth where is he?" I asked casually but the curiosity could be heard in my voice.

Sue sighed. "He's been with Jacob for the past week, some kind of favor he was asked to do. He should be back later tonight or tomorrow morning." For some reason she didn't look to sure.

I frowned. Both me and my mother worried about Seth. Even though he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself neither of us could stop fretting over him like he was five years old again. I remembered back to when me and Seth had phased for the first time and how I had promised Sue that I would look after Seth when we carried out our duty as protectors. I also remembered when I came home after Jacob and Seth had left the pack and told Sue what had happened. She was a brave woman but even then she couldn't hide her concern. She wanted to run out into the woods herself just to make sure that he was safe. I certainly made it worse for her when I left too. As if she didn't have enough on her plate. But my mother was kind, courageous and strong. She had helped Charlie adapt to the supernatural world, showed support for me and Seth after my father's death and never revealed her fear for us, not even when both of the packs stood with the Cullens against the Volturi.

As the memories sifted through my mind my eyes began to droop. I hadn't slept in for ages and at the moment the idea of sleeping on the couch wasn't so bad.

"Hey mom?" I muttered sleepily.

"Yes?" She replied quietly, stroking my hair.

"Can I go to sleep on the couch? I really could do with some rest." As proof I yawned loudly.

Sue gave me a sympathetic look, "OK. There's a blanket on the able if you need it."

"I doubt it. 108 degrees here." I joked, pointing to myself.

My mother rolled her eyes and kissed me on my forehead before briskly leaving the room.

Finally I had time to think! I had no idea what I wanted to do tomorrow. Stay indoors? See the pack? What would I say to them? Would they think that I'd changed? Then there was my brother. Is Seth the same happy kid I saw several years ago? Who knows? I decided to leave it until tomorrow. For now I just wanted to sleep.

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I woke up the next day to find the sun shining through the window, it's golden rays illuminating the whole room. From I could tell it was pretty high up. So it was late morning or early afternoon? There was no clock to tell. Still tired I stretched my arms out and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, yawning audibly as I did. Despite my comfort, that was one of the worst nights sleep I'd ever had. I thought of my disturbing dream ans shuddered. In fact a nightmare would be a better way to describe it.

I'd dreamt about what my life would've been like if I was normal. I was still with Sam as well as my Dad and I was relatively happy. But in this dream only I was normal; the rest of the Quileute youths could still morph into gigantic wolves. Sam still broke my heart, my Dad still passed away and my brother was still a werewolf. It was more or less the same as my life right now only I wasn't in on the secret. I saw the world as a cruel place, that was pitted against me. I wanted to escape and runaway. So one night I packed my bags and took my Dad's old fishing boat and headed off into the open water. As I drifted further away from La Push something jumped on board the boat and grabbed me from behind. There was brief moment of agonising pain and as my life slowly slipped away, I heard a tortured howl coming from the distance. That was when I woke up.

Suddenly my stomach growled, reminding me that I was desperate need of some decent grub. I stumbled into the tiny kitchen and grabbed a cereal bar from the fridge. As I chewed I thought about what to do with my day. Maybe I should see the pack and find out the latest news. I just hoped that Seth would be home soon. It would certainly make it easier for me when I saw the pack. Once I was done with my extremely small breakfast I ran into my room and grabbed a black vest-top and a pair of cropped jeans before heading out of the house and into the cover of the forest. As soon as I was in the shadows of the trees, I quickly whisked off my clothes and phased.

Running always made me free, like there were no life threatening issues or problems; just the simplicity of nature and life. My muscles worked together in one flowing movement, pushing me further, faster. The cool clean air of the Olympic Peninsula whistled through my lungs along with various different scents that belonged to the wildlife. If there was any highlight to my life it had to be this. The sensation of speed, of freedom.

"_Your telling me."_Embry's thoughts sounded loud and clear in my head. He was near Seattle, running flat out toward La Push. His surroundings were vivid in my mind. I'd forgotten what it was like to have one mind, to hear the same thoughts. I t was one of the reason's why I avoided being a wolf.

"_Yeah it gets annoying, doesn't it? So what brings you back home?"_ Ugh. I didn't want to be interviewed. Better get it over with.

" _I missed home too much. I figured I'd settle down. Now that I've seen a bit of the world, I'm ready to slow down and relax."_

Embry seemed surprised, almost shocked. _"Wow Leah. You've changed so much." _

"_Yeah, yeah. I know. So speaking of change, what have I missed" _I was keen to learn about the details of the past few years.

Embry paused for a brief moment, wondering where to begin. _"Well, there's only one pack again, since Sam, Jared and Paul have all quit. Quils working on it. So Jake is still the alpha."_ He was going into a full report now.

"_Anything else? How's Seth? Is Jacob still with the Cullens?" _

"_Yeah, he never leaves Nessie's side, unless he has to. Actually Seth is second in command now. Checking things in La Push, hanging out with the Cullens now and then. Kid's really grown up." _

I grumbled. Ranked beneath my baby brother. What an embarrassment.

"_Not really."_Embry contradicted me, _"Seth is probably the most responsible of us all except for Jacob that is." _

I snorted._"__Anyway" _Embry continued, "_there's gonna be a pack meeting. You might as tag along, the others will find out that you're back at some point anyhow"_

I sighed, it was more like a grunt. I knew I would have to face this sooner or later. I wheeled—picking the pace up as I did—to join Embry as he headed towards the cliff tops to the far south of the reservation, the place where we usually meet up.

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**Thanks for reading! I'll try to update soon promise!**


	3. Duty

Rough winds blew the ocean spray onto the little gathering. Clouds had gathered, blocking the sky and the sun. The weather was bitter, promising more storms. It effected none of us. We all sat in a circle on the cold, stone surface of the cliffs. Jacob at the head, Seth and Embry at his sides. I sat at Seth's other side. I felt awkward sitting here, I had missed so much over the past decade. Had I missed too much? Would they even take me back, though I was intending to rejoin the pack again, carry out my duties and protect the Quileutes?

Someone had lit the driftwood, causing a blazing fire. It threw its flames around angrily, a mixture of red, orange, yellow and gold. Hypnotized, I stared blankly at the hissing light, completely entranced. The only sound was the whisper of the wind and the crackling of the burning wood.

"Alright" Jacob spoke, his voice strong and clear, as it disrupted the peaceful bliss of silence. "We need to discuss our patrols." Never had I thought that Jacob would take this whole alpha thing seriously. I guess I was wrong. "First, we need to talk about an unexpected surprise." He instructed, smirking and glancing at me. I stared at the fire again, avoiding the eyes that burned into me.

I knew this was coming, so why was I blushing? "Leah?" Jacob asked. I didn't reply. He stared at me until I returned his gaze.

"Yes?" I replied, an edge of hysteria in my voice.

"Don't you want to know the latest news in the pack?" Jacob chuckled.

"Yeah. Yeah. Course." I stammered. Man was I slow today. I wasn't the only one who noticed. Muffled laughter broke out amongst the rest. I glowered at the culprits.

For the next few hours we exchanged stories, most of them theirs-I didn't have the chance to speak, typical boys. Our laughter would echo off the cliffs due to jokes being made at some of the more embarrassing stories. The atmosphere was friendly and cheerful, even now the bonfire looked more warming and kind, than vicious and angry. It was like being back in the good old days. I remembered hanging out a Billy's or my house. Eating takeout, telling jokes, listening to the legends of our people that were as old as time. Except now, we ate trucks load of food, we still told jokes and listened to the legends, only now we knew they were true. The Spirit Men, the Wolves and the Cold Ones, they were all true. Even today we had made some legends of our own. Well we as a pack hadn't really, it was mostly Jacob. It all started when he fell for Bella. After that pack life was never really the same, our numbers were huge, more Bloodsuckers had visited and the most shocking was the pack splitting up.

The casual banter eventually ceased, everyone took on a more business-like expression and the jokes and stories had turned into routines and tactics. Once I knew what my tasks and obligations were, I zoned out and entered my subconscious. As Jacob and the rest droned on and on about fighting--as boys do--my thoughts wandered to some of the stories I had been told about earlier.

One of those stories was about Sam and Emily. I sighed. Man! When was I gonna get over him? I hated not being able imprint. It was so unfair! I rested my chin on knees and wrapped my arms around my legs. If only I was like Emily, normal, happy. Closing my eyes, I started to fantasize about an alternate life.

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"Leah! Leah wake up!" Seth urged, nudging me.

"What?" I mumbled groggily.

"Come on. It's time to go. Do you wanna sleep out on the cliffs?"

This news shocked me. Slowly I got to my feet, I stumbled as a wave of head rush hit me.

"Wow. Did I fall asleep? Boy, I must've been tired. What time is it?" I asked, my voice heavy from sleeping.

"Bout eleven." he replied.

As my eyes adjusted, I glanced around myself. It was dark--for a normal human--but I could see perfectly clear-wolf senses. The clouds were a deep grey, the waves black and still and the leaves rustled in the slight The silence was then interrupted by my yawn.

"Man. We should get back, before Mom gets worried." he muttered.

I was already walking towards the woods before he even finished. "Race you home!" I yelled to him. A quick moment later we were both wolves, running through the vast forest in the cover of night. I had claimed I was the fastest, clearly I still have that claim because I was at the fading red door first.

"Hey Mom!" I called as I walked in, Seth right behind me. He ducked through the door frame, to tall to just walk through.

"Hey Mom." He repeated my words. My mother was in the living room, putting down her drink. Seth stepped past me and into my mothers arms. She squeezed him tightly. Just as quickly she took a step back to see him better.

"You're late home." She accused. Her eyes narrowing into slits.

"I can't just run through rush hour traffic." He joked, running his hand through his hair.

"Not funny."she frowned. "Come on it's late you both need your sleep."

I groaned. I hated it when she nagged us. We both slouched like little kids, making our way up stairs.

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I stared out my little bedroom window. The night sky was clear, revealing thousands of bright glistening stars. Moonlight shone from the low crescent moon into my bedroom, turning everything it touched silver and grey. I sighed content. This was my time, my time to think, my time to let loose. Here in my little room, I could drift into the world of fantasy and never go to far. It was perfect. It was...was...

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Jacob's gonna kill me! I overslept and was late for my patrol. It was four in the morning, my mother was still in bed and Seth was snoring lightly on the couch. Hopefully they couldn't hear me running around the house. I was like a typhoon, leaving a trail of cluttered mess behind me. Mom wouldn't be impressed and Seth probably would end up cleaning it, oh well that's what little brothers are for. After swallowing a mouthful of toast and chugging down a litre of milk, I left the little house, slamming the door shut as I went.

It wasn't long before I was running around the familiar circuit of the Olympic Peninsula. Me, Jacob and Seth ran along this route when we "protected" the Cullens from the rest of the pack. It was all sorted and done with now. But here I was running on the same trail, in the early morning, under Jacob's command. This time the company was a tad better. For three hours I was on my own. As for the remaining two hours, I had to put up with Embry. At least he was more considerate towards others. I shuddered, grateful that I would never have to run with Paul again. Embry joined then, which meant it was about seven. The sun was up, lighting the forest with its rays. Some of the creatures were already up, scuttling around the forest.

"_It's gonna be a good day today" _Embry commented.

" _Yeah it is" _I agreed.

"_So you what are doing today?" _He asked conversationally.

"_Dunno. Run. Eat. Maybe I'll go and see Emily. Do you think she's busy?"_

"_Nope. It's good that you're seeing Emily, she could do with normal company."_

We continued running in the new day. When I think about it, my duty wasn't too bad. Then again the lack of sleep was annoying. But it could have been much worse.

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"_Well I'm off, my patrol is over. See you later. Enjoy your patrol." _I gloated.

Embry grumbled. I trotted over to the bushes, where I morphed back to myself. After slipping my clothes back on, I started heading towards Sam and Emily's house. I was looking forward to seeing Emily again, we were practically sisters.

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	4. Visit

"Knock knock." I called, tapping on the freshly painted blue door.

"Who's there?" A soft gentle voice replied.

"Goldilocks. Now let me in." I said impatiently, rolling my eyes.

The lows thuds of footsteps sounded, before the door swung open. Emily stood in the doorway. "Leah!" she gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth.

"Emily!" I cried in delight.

"How long have you been back?" She threw her arms around my waist, I copied the gesture.

"Two days."

A cool breeze blew, Emily shuddered. "Well, lets get out of the cold." she suggested, motioning to inside the house.

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We walked into the kitchen. It was a mess, all the sides were cluttered with pots and cooking ingredients. The smell of baking wafted around the kitchen. My stomach growled. Emily took off her flour covered apron, getting more flour on her light yellow dress. We both stared at each other looking for any changes. She wouldn't find any in me, but I found some in her. Her face was softer, not because of the gentle wrinkles that appeared when she smiled, but because she seemed happy, content. I also took note of the one grey strand that streaked her long black silky hair. I met her gaze then. Emily's warm brown eyes were overflowing with tears, streaming down her ruined face. I wrapped my arms around her, giving her some comfort. It was overwhelming, even for me.

"Leah! We have...so much...to talk about." She blubbered.

"I know we do." I said solemnly. Emily picked up a tray--with a plate of food and twos cups of coffee--and walked into the living room.

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"So tell me, what have you been up to over the years?" I asked curiously, whilst nibbling on one of Emily's blueberry muffins. Emily raised her eyebrows, clearly she wanted to know what I'd been doing, but I was fed up of being asked first.

"Well not much, too be honest." She said quietly.

"Oh come on Emily! Be honest." I complained. "You can at least tell me the reason for moving." I wailed.

"I do miss the little cottage." Emily sighed. "We only moved because of the lack of space, what after having the kids and all..." She trailed off.

This house was much bigger than the little cottage that Sam and Emily used to live in. There was enough space to have a proper couch, with a little coffee table in front. Another addition to the lounge was the 20inch plasma TV and the wide windows that faced west, giving a view of First Beach. The colors all matched, creams, browns and even a hint of green. I searched the room and listened for any other movements, the kids weren't here.

"Where are the kids?"

"They've gone with Sam to see their Grandma." She answered simply." It was hard to remember that she was a mother now. When I thought of Emily as a mom, I only saw mine.

"So, what it's like?" I hesitated. "Being a mom?" It was a touchy topic. Too my surprise she laughed.

I looked at Emily, incredulous. "Leah, being a mom is one of the greatest gifts you could ever have." She beamed, patting my knee soothingly when I winced at her words. She looked at me again, concerned. I never noticed before but she had aged, become wiser. I was a little kid again, learning another life lesson from my parents.

"I wouldn't know." I mumbled. Emily laughed again.

"These are my children." Emily said proudly, gesturing towards a picture on the wall.

I stared at the photo, completely mesmerized. There were three children, two girls and one boy. The oldest was a girl. With her long silky black hair, almond shaped brown eyes and gleaming smile, she was the spitting image of Emily. Beautiful, like Emily had been before the accident. The second girl was the youngest, she had her mother's face and her father's eyes, her short black hair was sticking up in all directions. And finally there was the boy. It was like seeing Sam when he was just a kid. Short cropped hair, dark brown eyes and a huge grin on his face. It hurt to look. Painful memories were being dragged up from my sub-concious. Stabbing my chest. My heart ached.

" I have two daughters and a son." She continued. "My son is called Samuel, he's six. The youngest of the girls is three, her name is Lydia. And..." Emily hesitated.

"And?" I encouraged.

"Well I wanted to name my oldest daughter after someone close to me. I decided to name her after you."

I tensed, shocked. "After me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows incredulously.

"You are practically my sister Leah. She asks about you. I've told her stories from when we were little, she wants to meet you." She whispered. A warm fuzzy glow grew deep inside me. I was beaming with happiness.

"Thank you." I whispered back, tears spilling out of my eyes. Emily smiled leaning towards me so she could pat my hand.

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Emily continued telling me about her life over the past fifteen years. She told me about her honeymoon in Hawaii with Sam, her life as a mother, holidays with the kids and other events that had happened in La Push. One of those was Paul and Rachael's wedding. I bet Jacob wasn't too pleased to have Paul as a brother in law, but he would've been happy for his sister. I was happy for Emily, happy that she got everything she had wanted from life. If only I could be so lucky. Who knows? Maybe there was a happy ending for me. Maybe I would get married to a handsome man, that made me feel special and have children of my own. But it was only a fantasy.

Once we started talking, we couldn't stop. Together we remembered the good old days. When we laughed and played on the beach, our moms chatting while we paddled in the sea. We were only little kids then. I specifically remembered one day in the early summer.

* * *

Me, Emily, Sam and Seth were at the rock pools-our parents had left us to roam around so they could sneak back to the café for a cup of coffee. We were exploring the miniature aquariums, watching the eels swim around in the shallow water, thats when Jacob, Rachael and Rebecca joined us. After finishing searching the rock pools, we played hide and seek, Sam was first to be it. Me and Emily were hiding behind a long piece of driftwood, giggling when Sam couldn't find anybody. He was almost about to give up when a piercing high pitched scream filled the air. Jacob jumped up from his hiding place, waving his left hand about, a crab clutching tightly to his forefinger. "OOWW!! GET IT OFF!! GET IT OFF!!" he yelled. Rebecca rushed over to him, muttering under her breath, Rachael followed. The rest of us were rolling around on the ground laughing our heads off. Seth-who was only four- pointed at Jacob asking me what was so funny. I chuckled at the memory, which was so long ago. Emily raised her eyebrows curiously.


	5. Temper

**Sorry it's only a short chapter. But it's heading towards a cliffhanger. Enjoy.**

* * *

It was getting late, the clock edging towards six. I must have been at Emily's house for about eight hours. We were just catching up on eighteen years worth of stories. There was so much to tell and so little time. I hadn't seen my best friend in ages, I had missed her company too much. She missed mine. Neither of us wanted this moment to end, but despite our wishes I would have to leave. Sam was due home soon and I had another patrol in the early morning.

Emily started to ask what I'd been doing over the past fifteen years, I told her as many details as I could remember. My travels had taken me across the world. From Europe and Asia to Africa and America. Whilst on my travels I learnt many things. I now understood myself better. I told Emily about my studies at various colleges around the country, my yoga classes and a few of the flings I had too. She found this all very interesting, she listened with true composure, not pulling a face at the more vulgar stories.

I just finished describing my time in New York, when Emily got up and glanced out the window. Sam must be arriving home soon. Great. Why don't I just stab myself in the heart, it would probably be less painful. She wandered back across the room and sat on the couch in front of me. We sat in silence for a while.

"You have it so lucky Leah." Emily sighed.

"What?" I asked, stunned. "You've been all around the world, seen different places, met different people. I've never left the State of Washington. Sometimes I wish that I could be like you. Morph into another creature, set off and explore the world." She ranted passionately.

"You've no idea what you are talking about." I muttered.

Despite it being no louder than a breath, she heard me. "I think I do."

I clenched my jaw, my teeth grating against each other. "No you seriously don't." I hissed.

"Well sorry Leah, sorry that I have a fantasy. Am I not allowed to dream?" She spat back.

For some odd reason, this angered me. I stood up, towering over her. "Dream? It's not a dream Emily, it's a nightmare! A burden!" I shouted, waving my hands in the air.

"Only you find it a burden. I would cope. I see it more as an escape, like a fairytale." Emily stood her ground.

My hands balled up into fists, I thrust them down at my sides. "You want to escape from this? This is a fairytale! You have everything I want, everything I can't have. You have Sam, your children and your perfectly normal life! Each day I wake up knowing that nothing will be the same! You want to trade? I'd be happy too!" My voice shot through an octave. I saw red. Shudders were rippling down my spine, my arms, my legs.

"I never said it like that!" Emily cried, squaring up to me. Instead of responding, I focused on keeping my temper under control. The trembles slowed.

Just then, a car door slammed shut outside. Damn. Sam was home. I should probably go, but my feet wouldn't budge, my anger kept me in place. I glowered at Emily, jaw clenched. She glared back, her eyes hypocritical and scorching with annoyance. There was a low thud on the porch steps.

"Emily?" a deep warm voice asked, breaking the tension.

My heart skipped a beat. Sam burst through the door then, not even noticing at me at first. His eyes were for Emily. It took half a second for him to sense the tension rolling off us. His eyes narrowed. When he spoke to me his voice was bitter and cold.

"What are you doing here Leah?" I didn't answer, I continued to glare at Emily.

"See Emily, you have a devoted husband who is standing up for you this very moment. But you don't even deserve him, not after what you've said." I jeered. Sam's eyes flickered between me and Emily, confusion growing on his face.

Emily turned scarlet, tears building up in her eyes. "GET OUT!" She yelled, pointing towards the door, her face full of hurt and pain.

I stood my ground. "No." I said through my teeth.

Sam intervened then "Get out Leah or I'll drag you out myself." He threatened menacingly.

"No." I repeated.

Emily was now stood behind Sam's restraining arm. "Get out now." He said again, a growl building in his chest.

My instincts kicked in. I bared my teeth, a low vicious snarl coming through my mouth, the trembles sped up. Sam braced himself, a few shudders of his own. He hadn't been a wolf in a while. It would be disorientating for him. I could take him out easy, though Jacob was bound to hamstring me if I did. We glowered at each other, bracing for a fight.


	6. Monster

**Continuing from the last chapter...**

* * *

"No." I spat, taking a step forward.

He pushed past Emily, taking a step forward as well. We now stood facing each other with only a few inches between our quivering bodies. I looked up into his dark coffee brown eyes, I could see the fire burning in them.

"Leave." He warned again, placing his hands on my shoulders and pushing me away from him, causing me to fall back a few steps.

That was it. I wasn't taking that from him. Not anymore. Heat flooded through my bones, my muscles flexed. I couldn't stop the tremors now. It was too late. A long menacing growl tore through my chest and out of my mouth. There was a shiver in the air and my clothes shredded to pieces. Furniture smashed and banged behind me.

I wasn't Leah anymore. I was a gigantic grey wolf now stood in the middle of Sam and Emily's now ruined living room. Sam's eyes widened in horror, fear dominant on his face. He put his hands up-like a criminal confronting a policeman.

"Leah?" He breathed, his voice layered with anxiety and concern.

I bared my teeth and continued to growl. Meanwhile Emily stood in the background, eyes wide and completely frightened. Sam slowly stepped up to me and pushed against my shoulder. For some unfathomable reason I turned back on him. He staggered back a step, raising his arms in order to protect himself. It was no use. I made my swipe for him, my claws ripped through the fabric of his shirt and raked across his chest. Blood started to pulse out of the piercing wounds I made.

I didn't take note of Emily's piercing scream, or the blood staining the light brown carpet. I watched horrified as Sam fell to his knees, clutching his chest, trying to prevent the blood from oozing out any faster. Emily fell by his side, a white towel in her hands. She tried desperately to slow the flow of red, which now covered her hands. Her pleading sobs filled the room along with her husband's gasps of pain. Sam tried to put on a brave face but it cracked when he writhed at the touch from the now red towel. I watched the chaos, completely frozen. I stood there helplessly, staring at the dramatic scene before me.

What had I done? I'd meant to visit Emily after not seeing her for so long, how did it get to this? How did it get to Sam being curled up on the floor with Emily sobbing by his side? Why didn't I keep my big mouth shut? Why didn't I leave when asked? Was I a monster? A killer? The small feeling of justice in the back of my head was proof enough. It was all too much. My heart throbbed with the intensity of the pain I caused. I wheeled, heading straight on for the door. I needed to escape the horrific scene behind me. As I sprinted through the lawn, I took note of the three kids, sat anxiously in the back of a silver Mercedes. My actions didn't just affect Sam and Emily, it affected them too.

I continued to sprint, not slowing down, not bothering to be careful. If I was seen, I was seen. It was a bad thing when we had to be extra careful of the locals, who were hunting us down whilst we were protecting them. It was such an inconvenience. But they didn't know that there was worse to worry about than a bunch of wolves. Only very few knew, and they are always watched out for. At least there was some appreciation for our sacrifice.

* * *

I was halfway to Seattle when I began to slow down. I needed time to think. Fortunately no one was on patrol, so my actions hadn't been publicized, yet. I couldn't risk staying wolf any longer-- in case someone phased and found out about the terrible thing I had done. Once one member of the pack knew, they all would. They would probably hunt me down and drag me back to La Push, where I would be punished. I didn't want to deal with that just yet. In fact I didn't want to deal with it at all. Maybe I'll just run away. If I stay human they wouldn't be able to find me very easily, in fact they might not ever find me. It did look promising. The question was, could I actually live through what I'd done? Hopefully Sam would recover with nothing more than scratch. But if he didn't, I would have to cope with cold blooded murder for the rest of my over stretched life. I found a little shelter underneath two giant spruces. It suddenly came to me, that I had no clothes. Great. I really could have done with sneaking back home for a vest top and a pair of jeans. Very gingerly, I took several bunches of leaves from the surrounding vegetation between my teeth and placed them on the floor. I phased back to my human self a second later, and took my bedding to the cover of the spruces.

* * *

The cold bitter wind continued to blow through the forest. I shuddered involuntary. I looked back through my actions, feeling more and more guilty as I did. My claws tearing the flesh on Sam's chest. Emily's piercing scream. Sam writhing in agony. The blood staining everything it touched. The three anxious kids in the car. I winced. That image was the strongest in my head, the most dominant. How would it all effect them? If Sam made it through this, what would he tell them? Would he reveal the frightening world of monsters to them? He would to his son, one day. And what if hadn't? What was Emily going to tell them? Tell the rest of La Push. Apart from the pack no one would suspect an animal attack in their own house. Would Emily be put down for murder? What would the kids do? I only know too well what its like to lose your dad. Would it be worse if they knew he was murdered? Of course it would. They would want justice on the killer. And I would certainly get it. But those were only the worst case scenarios. They wouldn't happen hopefully. Sam was strong, I knew that, he would pull through. For Emily. For his kids. I kept reassuring myself with that thought.

* * *

**Ok. Was that good? Please review!**


	7. Disappointment

It was early morning now. The sky was a dark grey, causing the majority of the forest to be covered in shadows. A thick hazy mist covered the forest floor making it difficult to see clearly. Everything was fuzzy, like a bad reception on a T.V screen. Though that might be because of the tears swelling up in my eyes. I couldn't see very clearly, but I certainly could hear. Angry furious howls filled the quiet morning scene. They sounded from miles away, faded in the distance, no one would hear them, except me. If I listened carefully I could pick out the one howl that wasn't aggressive. This howl was full of concern and fear. Of course it was Seth. News must've gone around of what had happened to Sam. What I'd done to him.

I placed my chin on my knees and wrapped my arms tight around my legs. I had to go home. There was no avoiding it. But when I thought of returning home fear twisted inside me. I was afraid to go home. Home was supposed to be the safest place in the whole world, yet I was terrified to go back. I was afraid to find out the results of my actions, afraid to face the consequences. Come on Leah. You need to be strong. Face your fears. I plucked up as much courage as I could find. One silent shudder and I was a wolf again.

"_Leah!" _several voices thought.

"_Come home now." _Jacob ordered.

"_Leah!" _Seth sighed in relief. He was the closest to me, running to meet me. He wasn't the only one. The others had left their positions and were racing towards me too. I was still the fastest, no one could out run me. I bolted in the other direction, running away from the rest of the pack. They continued to chase me though.

"_Leah slow down." _Seth pleaded.

"_Leave me alone!" _I cried, a soft whimper escaped my muzzle.

"_Not until you explain yourself." _Jacob commanded. He took the images from my head and put them on display for everyone else to see. There was silence. Not a single comment. Just feelings of disgust, rage and disappointment. I shook my head, trying to push the images out. I didn't want to see them again.

I hated it when people rummaged through my head. Instead of watching the replay of my actions, I searched through their heads. They had seen Sam since the incident, he was recovering to my relief. The wounds were healing, he was bandaged up. He was going to be fine. But it didn't make any difference. I couldn't escape what I'd done. I braked and skidded to a stop. I plopped down on my haunches and stared at the ground. Seth found me a minute later. He let out a soft whine and nudged me on the shoulder with his nose.

"_It's ok Leah. I'm here for you. You know that." _He thought, supporting me as always.

"_I know. You're a good brother you know."_

"_Thanks."_

The others met us in the little clearing. Jacob had taken point, he glowered straight at me. Seth stayed by my side, he wasn't against me like the rest. I could feel the disappointment he felt for me though.

"_I don't know what to do with you now Leah."_ Jacob thought. He was considering a suitable punishment, one that wasn't going to cause Seth to turn against him. Others put in suggestions as well.

"_Banish her from La push."_

"_Turn her into an outcast."_

"_Yeah like she wasn't one before."_

"_Guys. Ease up." _Seth but in.

"_Look I don't care what punishment you give me. I get what I deserve. But it doesn't matter how harsh your punishment is, it won't make me feel any better about myself. I despise myself so much for what I've done, I have to live with that for the rest of my life. Always knowing that I hurt the ones I love. Always knowing that I'm a monster." _I sighed. They all winced at the pain in my thoughts.

"_Leah." _Jacob thought, his voice took on a softer tone. _"I know you didn't intend any harm, I know you weren't thinking straight. So maybe..."_ I could see where this was heading.

"_Save the crap Jacob, if you're not gonna punish me, then maybe I'll do it myself." _Hundreds of ideas flickered through my mind, all of them I had been considering to do last night. Jacob flinched.

"_Leah don't, think it through properly. What about the pack? Your family?" _He questioned, glancing from Seth to me and back again. Seth let out a piercing howl full of agony.

"_Leah you can't! I won't let you!"_

"_Look no one is going to take justice, so I'll take it into my own hands."_

"_You are not leaving this spot Leah." _Jacob commanded. I focused all my will power on resisting his order.

"_Is that a challenge Jacob? Go on. I dare you. It would only make things quicker for me." _I spat.

Surely I could count on his big headed ego, to do that. Do the dirty work for me. I could feel his instincts trying to take charge. I knew when an alpha was challenged, it was difficult for him to turn it down. He fought against it though and his will power won out over his instincts. Wimp. I snarled, rising up to turn my back on them and ran off into the forest. They followed, sprinting after me. They wouldn't be able to catch up, even if I hadn't had a head start. I ran further. Racing to the place where I could be alone.


	8. Wish

The grey clouds darkened the day in La Push. Everything was dull and dripping wet thanks to the out pours of rain. The trees stood tall and green, swaying to the breeze. In the distance I could the see the bleak grey waters of the Pacific, crashing against the bare rocks of the cliffs. A whisper of wind--cold and bitter--blew through my open window, ruffling the stack of papers on my desk. I sat, curled up on my little bed. Arms wrapped around legs, chin on knees, tears spilling down my cheeks. I was a wreck.

From the living room I could hear Seth playing absently with the T.V remote while the screen played a rerun of an old comedy show. There was low buzz from the oven that went with the smell of baking. As I listened to the sounds of everyday life, I noticed one thing that didn't fit. There was the lightest sound of footsteps--too light to be normal--that stopped right in front of our doorway. Seth heard them too and went to the door to see who it was.

The door creaked open then.

"Oh hey Jake." Seth muttered.

"Hey Seth. Is Leah okay?" Jacob asked. Why did he suddenly care about me? I didn't know, but it was starting to get really annoying.

"Yeah. But you should leave her alone, she's not in the best of moods." Seth replied glumly. He'd tried to cheer me up earlier, with some of my favorite snacks, but I threw it back in his face. Guess I should apologise for getting him covered in frozen yogurt.

Jacob ignored him, he side stepped around Seth and headed down the hallway, he was about to go upstairs when my mom blocked his path. He sighed and muttered something under his breath.

"Jacob I would appreciate it if you leave Leah alone. I've already told Seth. I hope I don't need to tell you or the rest of the pack." She warned.

"I just want to see if she's okay Sue." He reassured her.

"Well she just needs some time to herself, it doesn't make it any better when you keep bugging her like this." She counted back.

"Okay then. Bye Sue." He murmured, "See you later Seth." He said as he passed my brother. Seth shut the door behind him and walked back over to the couch. I sighed. The last thing I needed was another comforting session. I continued to look outside the window and watch another day pass.

* * *

Sunsets. Why did everyone think they were special? They certainly weren't romantic or happy. They were a symbol of the end. The end of another day. The end of light and colors. The beginning of the night and the darkness it brings. I never liked sunsets. I preferred dawn. It was the symbol of a new beginning. Everyday the sun had a new beginning. I wished I had one of them. I wished that everything I'd done in the past would disappear. That when I woke up tomorrow morning, I could start a new life. A different life, a better life. I glanced outside just in time to see a star shoot across the darkening sky. I sighed. It would take more than a wish to solve my problems. A miracle maybe. But I'd already had one miracle. The miracle of a completely different world, full of myths and legends and my involvement in it. It wasn't fair to have another. Was it?

I was trapped. Trapped in my little room. Nothing for company except my own guilt and pain. I'd already suffered so much. Sometimes I'd think it better if I didn't exist at all. But then again if I were to disappear, how much pain would it cause on the people that love me. Could I really cause pain and loss to happen to the people that love me no matter what I've done? No I couldn't. I wouldn't. It wouldn't be fair on them. I would pull through this, not for me, but for them.

* * *

I woke up after a surprisingly good nights sleep. It had been a while since I slept without having any dreams or nightmares. It was kind of peaceful. My stomach growled then, interrupting that peace. How long had it been since I'd last ate anything? Too long apparently. I opened my door and went straight to the kitchen. A few minutes later my mom walked in as I shoved a large piece of toast in my mouth. Surprise flickered across her face.

"What?" I asked, feeling self conscious.

"Nothing." She replied, dazed.

I finished my breakfast before going to living room to watch some T.V. There was nothing on but some old talk show, so I settled for that. I wasn't really paying attention to the screen. Seth was just as surprised as my mother when he saw me sat down in the living room, not miserable for once. He didn't say anything though.

Eventually I got fed up with watching T.V and headed towards my room. I felt my mom's and my brother's eyes follow me up the stairs. I wondered why they were being so paranoid. I didn't know what but there was something different about today. Something that made it seem better. I put on my favorite pair of jeans--black crops--and a cream vest top. As I stared in the mirror, I noticed how messy my hair was. When did I last brush it? I grabbed my comb and tackled the many knots in my hair. When I was done, I headed outdoors. There was a positive feeling in the air. A wide smile spread across my face as I walked out into the new day.

* * *

**Want to know what happens next? You'll to keep reading to find out.**


	9. Uturn

**Ok, something interesting is coming soon...**

* * *

It was a surprisingly nice day. The sky was a brilliant pale blue, with not a single cloud in sight. The sun was low, it rays bringing out a variety of colors from the land below. It was already quite mild, promising an unusually warm day. The beach was glittering in the suns rays, the multicolored pebbles, golden sands and dark navy blue waters, meant that First Beach was going to be very busy today. La Push wasn't the most popular tourist trap due to all the rain, but on those rare sunny days it was truly magnificent and brought hundreds of tourists flooding in to the little resort.

I decided to take advantage of the quiet morning before people started to gather and ruin this moment of peace. I didn't really have anything to do all day. Nobody would mind if I just hung out at the beach all day and just waste the hours away. Convinced, I headed towards the sand and the sea.

The sea was calm and gentle, the crashing waves making no more sound than I whispered hush. I laid there soaking in as much sunlight as I possibly could. I remembered the good old days--before I changed--when the warmth from the sun felt good on my skin. Of course I couldn't feel it anymore. I sighed. Still trying to relax, I closed my eyes tight and listened to the silent whispers of the wind and the felt the ocean's spray lightly wet my face.

My moments peace was short lived. About an hour after sunbathing on the soft powdery sand, the beach was suddenly populated by screaming kids and under dressed adults. I ignored the laughing kids and their complaining parents. Today was about me, me relaxing in the much missed sun. I sighed happily, as my skin soaked the sun rays--they weren't as warm as they used to be. A slight breeze blew, the smell of brine went up my nose. It blew harder and harder. Suddenly all I could see was red.

Ugh. A bright red towel had just blown onto my face, the sand going everywhere. Huh, so much for relaxing. I sat up and threw the towel off my face.

"Oops. I'm so sorry. The wind just blew it away and well..." A deep husky voice apologized.

Unwillingly, I looked up.

A man stood towering over me. He looked a bit uncomfortable? Nervous? Dazzled? It was one of the three. I looked over him again, taking in his features. He was 6ft 4inch, with quite a stocky build. The spikes in his short jet black hair were ruffled due to the wind. His face was apologetic, his dark warm brown eyes were sincere. Actually I thought he was using the puppy dog eyes on me, pleading for my forgiveness. Ha.

I stood up, shaking all the sand off myself. I looked up into his eyes. "Well then you shouldn't let it happen again." I replied, annoyed.

He tensed; preparing for some sort of attack.

"In other words I forgive you." I reassured him, patting him once on the arm.

He relaxed instantly at my touch.

I glanced around the beach and sighed. Maybe I should leave, the beach was getting overcrowded.

"Look if you're upset I could make things up to you by buying you a coffee." The man offered.

I rolled my eyes, yeah, real smooth move. "I'm sorry, I don't get coffee from people I don't know anything about." I commented. A smirk spread across my face, guess his move wasn't as smooth as he'd thought.

An answering smile flashed across his face, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. They stood out against his russet colored skin. "My name's Mike Weller, I'm 19yrs old and I come from Sacramento. There now you know something about me. So how about you?" He counted back smugly.

I raised my eyebrows incredulously. "Smooth. My name is Leah Clearwater, I'm 20yrs old and I live here." I answered.

"You live here? Do you like the rain or something?" Mike questioned, his charming smile widened.

"Eh. You get used to it. But if you're worried about getting your hair wet, we'd better be heading indoors." I teased.

We both looked up. The clouds had gathered, blocking out the sun. They were now a dark steel grey, threatening to wet everything below. Everyone headed off the beach, seeking shelter. We headed towards the café before the downpour began.

* * *

**Mike; the only character I own. So what do you think? Please Review!**


	10. Coffee

The little café (known as Quileute Caffe) was packed with tourists. They all crammed themselves around the square tables, fighting for the nearest chair. A constant stream of moans and complaints filled the room as everyone pushed and shoved. I recognised one or two of the locals, they waited impatiently for everyone else to settle down; annoyance dominant on their faces. Me and Mike stood awkwardly against the wall, making way for the pushing customers.

Eventually the majority of the crowd had settled down and we made our way over to the only table left. The waitress came over then, asking for our order.

"Two decaf coffees please." Mike replied to her question. "You don't mind do you?" He muttered, turning away from the waitress and back to me.

"Not at all." I smiled.

The waitress walked away and came back with two cups off coffee, I took mine and sipped at it slowly.

"So do you have to put up with the rain much?" Mike asked, glancing outside.

The weather had definitely turned for the worst. The sky was a dull grey and the heavy rain bounced off the concrete. A few unfortunate tourists were still outside, now running through the cold and wet, screaming as the rain drenched them.

I chuckled. "Yes. It's typical weather around here. We don't get many sunny days, unlike California." His question made me curious. "Why, are you moving here or something?" My brows furrowed when I narrowed my eyes.

"Already have." He shrugged.

"Really?" surprise was clear in my voice. That answer was unexpected. My shock was really obvious.

"Yep. I'm originally from La Push. I lived here when I younger, though I can't really remember. I moved to California with my dad, after my mom died. I was only four." His voice broke when he mentioned his mom. Tears welled up in his eyes. He suddenly became vulnerable, just like a lost kid. I wanted to help him. Make things better.

"I know what that feels like." Mike looked at me confused. "My dad died recently." I told him somberly. Actually it was almost two decades ago, but he could never know that.

"Oh, sorry."

There was an awkward moment of silence-even though the café was still full.

"So. Um. D...do you... have any other family around here?" Mike stuttered, breaking the tension.

"Yeah. There's my mom, you'll find her easily enough around here, everyone knows her. Then there's my little brother Seth. You'll probably see him around. All the boys here are freakishly tall, including you!" I exclaimed, gesturing towards him.

"It's not just the boys." He smirked, winking at me. Blood rushed to my cheeks.

I'd dated other boys before. Some were really romantic, but also sappy. Yuck. Others were jerks-- the kind that made you hate all the men on the planet. Most of the dates I went on I regretted instantly--the dates with Sam were the only ones that I really considered to be dates. But Mike was different. For once in almost twenty years I felt comfortable sitting with a cute guy.

Mike's eyes were locked on my face. "Are you blushing?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. A wide grin spread across his joyful face, revealing two dimples.

"No." I mumbled, folding my arms across my chest stubbornly. "I'm a bit warm in here thats all." Though that was impossible. My skin was a boiling one-oh-eight-point-nine degrees--the room felt pretty cold to me.

"Right." Mike said sarcasm heavy in his voice, he rolled his eyes as he spoke.

I smiled widely. Showing off my glistening white teeth. The gentle thudding of his heart stuttered for a moment; his heart skipped a beat or two. I chuckled at his sudden unease. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, he quickly wiped it away with one quick swipe of his hand. I looked at the time on the little wooden clock at the far end of the café . Had it really been two whole hours? Wow. I'd better get a move on. Shame, I was perfectly happy here.

I glanced at the clock again. "Wow. It's already three o'clock, I'd better get a move on. I promised my mom that I'd help with the chores." I rushed through the words so fast, I was surprised he could make out the words.

"No, that's fine. I was planning to head off soon anyway. Er. Will...I see...you tomorrow?" He staggered.

"Yeah. Why not." I said whilst getting up.

"No reason. See you soon."

"Bye." I sighed, flashing one last smile at him before I left.

I ran through the torrential rain, looking for any shelter. Each single drop ricocheted off the ground and hit my legs. The cold water should make me shiver, but in a matter of seconds the raindrops evaporated off my skin. I reached the small convenience store, that belonged to Embry's mom. Customers moved out of my way as I walked through the double doors, trying to avoid getting wet themselves. Not looking where I was going, I bumped into Seth and Embry.

"Hey! Oh, it's you Seth. Sorry." I rushed through my words, being annoyed to sheepish in a second.

"Leah I was just looking for you!" Seth cried. Embry stood behind him silently.

"You was?" I asked.

"Yeah. Jacob asked me to find you guys and meet up afterwards. I've just got Embry. We were about to go searching for you." He explained.

"Well you found me." I said in a joking tone. Seth laughed. Embry rolled his eyes and smirked.

"You're in a good mood!" Embry gasped mockingly, pointing his finger at me. "I don't believe it!"

I glared at him, trying not to retaliate. Seth hit him on the head.

"Come on. Jacob wants to find us." I growled.

"Thanks." Seth muttered sarcastically at Embry.


	11. Paranoia

The pack had gathered in a small clearing about three miles out from the Cullens' house. Their sickly sweet scent clung to everything. The trees, the grass, the air. Bleh. My nose burned fiercely. I'd forgotten how much of a pain it was to be near vampires. Ugh. Seth, Embry and the others seemed pretty used to it. As much as it hurt physically, I hoped that I would never get used to being around vampires. Watching my little brother be a bloodsucker's pet dog was just plain sick and wrong. None of the others felt the same way I did.

"_Give them a break Leah. The Cullens are pretty cool." _Embry thought.

"_Yeah, I would really love to hang around with Alice and Rosalie all day." _I spat venomously.

Brady and Collin snickered.

I turned my head to glower at them.

Meanwhile Seth had taken point, the rest of us in a group behind him. I sat on my haunches, waiting impatiently; playing absently with a few weeds. Jacob was nowhere to be seen. The concern in the pack mind grew and grew as more time passed. Eventually Jacob ran--in human form--into sight. He headed for the bushes, where he phased; his thoughts now accompanying ours.

We all sat impatiently, waiting for Jacob to say or do something. Instead he paced in front of us, his tail swished anxiously. His wordless thoughts were full of concern.

"_What's up Jake?"_Embry asked, braking the silence. Jacob continued to pace silently for awhile,and then he stopped to face us. He tensed and let it all out.

"_I've just heard some news about several disappearances in Seattle." _He sighed.

"_So? It could be some nomads visiting. Benjamin and Tia visited two months ago. The Cullens know lots of other nomads." _My brother interrupted.

"_Well the Cullens have been monitoring the situation. They say that its very similar to the disappearances in Seattle almost nineteen years ago , but there's less victims this time. There were poorly disposed corpses and a lack of any patterns." _Jacob reported.

"_You think there's another newborn?" _Brady questioned.

"_Yes. It's obvious isn't it. We shouldn't need to worry, Edward promised he'd mention it to us if something comes up. But I'm gonna bump up the number of shifts. Just in case they decide to visit here." _

The rest of us groaned in unison. I was one of them. At the moment Jacob was more concerned about the crazed newborn visiting the Cullens and meeting Renesmee, instead of the reeking bloodsucker hunting on our lands. Geez. I'd never seen him so paranoid.

"_Well Leah." _Jacob thought acidly. _"You've just signed up for the first patrol. Be here in three hours." _

The others laughed, their bodies shook violently, causing the ground to shake a little.

_"Embry. Collin. You'll join her as well." _Their laughter stopped instantly.

"_But. But." _I thought.

"_But nothing. I want you running around La Push in three hours time." _He ordered, using the double timbre of his alpha voice.

"_Fine."_ I grumbled.

"_See you." _Seth thought smugly. He and the others phased back, leaving my thoughts to myself. What happened to the time when I was the beta? I swear being ranked under Seth was never going to fade into the background. I sighed, kicking a collection of pebbles. I watched them scatter randomly across the dirt. Great. What was I supposed to do now? I had three hours. Not enough time to sleep, it was to late to go out. Then something clicked. There was something I needed to do. Best to get it out of the way. I got to my feet and sprinted through the forest. The were trees a solid blur around me.

* * *

I now stood outside Sam and Emily's house. The last time I was here, everything went so wrong. Today I would apologize for my actions. Should I interrupt their happy evening? What if everything went wrong again?

* * *

**Will Sam and Emily forgive them? Keep on reading and reviewing!**


	12. Apology

A few minutes later and I was still debating whether I should apologise to Sam and Emily. I stood under the shelter of the towering fir trees; hiding in the shadows so that I wouldn't be noticed. A hazy yellow light filtered through the kitchen window, illuminating the garden. Heavy rain poured from the steel grey sky, soaking everything that made contact with it. In the distance the waves crashed violently as the winds picked up. From inside the house I could hear the clashing of the dishes as they were washed. There was also a incoherent muttering from the living room which was followed by a deep snore. After one more glance at the lovely house, I took a deep breath and walked away from the forest. It only took a few long strides across the garden to reach the door. I raised my arm and--with a quick flick of my wrist--knocked three times.

There was a pause in the kitchen and then someone hurried to the door. After fiddling with the locks, Emily swung the door open, a polite smile on her ruined face. In an instant the smile disappeared when she saw who the visitor was. "Leave us be" She warned and started closing the door, but I wedged my foot in it's way.

"Emily, hear me out please." I begged.

She frowned as she peered up at me."Look here Leah. You've nearly killed the one person that I couldn't live without! Do you have any idea what that would have done to me, if you did?! What it would have done to the kids?!" Emily began to throw her arms around aggressively. "I don't care about what you have to say anymore! You ruin everything! Everything you touch, love and do, you destroy. You're like a plague Leah!" She spat venomously.

I knew she right. Every word that had come out of Emily's mouth was nothing but the truth. And it hurt so much to know it. "You're right. I'm wasting my time." I muttered quietly. Tears swelled up in my eyes and trickled down my face.

Emily looked me and sighed. "No. I'm not. I shouldn't have said anything." She glanced over her shoulder for a second, before meeting my eyes again. "I'll hear you out. No interruptions." She promised.

I was about to step inside the house to get under some form of shelter but Emily continued to block the entrance, leaving me to get drenched by the pouring rain.

Firstly, I wanted to give you this." I paused briefly, holding out a wad of cash. She looked at the money incredulously. "It's to pay for any damages." I explained quickly, before forcing the cash into her hand. "Also, I'm truly sorry for my actions that evening. There was no valid reason for me to lash out like that. I will admit that I overreacted." Emily was about to interrupt but I protested. "I was in the wrong and I'm sorry. I regretted hurting Sam from the very second after I did. You won't believe how horrible I felt after that. And I will promise one thing. I won't bother you, Sam or your family. You won't see me or hear from me at all. Nothing like this will ever happen again." I promised solemnly.

It was for the best and despite feeling distressed on the inside, I made a hard effort not to show any emotion. Now that I was finished, I spun around to make my exit. So I was shocked when Emily pulled on my wrist.

"Leah, you don't have to ..." She whispered, her silent sobs choked off what she was saying.

"Sorry." I apologised again, yanking my wrist out of her grasp. Emily shook her head and I ran back to the safety and comfort of the forest.

* * *

My wolf self dealt with emotions much better than my human self. The urge to cry had vanished, yet I still felt remorseful. I wasn't surprised that I wasn't alone. Embry and Collin ran through the darkened woods as well. I could see where they were, smell the brine and the trees, hear each tiny creature move, feel the twigs snap under their feet and the icy wind blow against their face. They could also feel, see, hear and smell everything I could. My memories and thoughts filtered through their minds. Embry saw my memory of me apologising to Emily. He could feel the pain that pulsed through my body, how much it had hurt to say my promise.

"O_h man. That's seems pretty hard. Sorry Leah." _Embry thought quietly. Collin gave me some sympathy as well.

Actually I was grateful for having the patrol to keep things off my mind. I needed to forget the recent few hours and focus on other things. Searching for a rogue vampire in the woods seemed like the perfect opportunity for that. My legs pushed me faster and I paid more attention to every little detail in hope of finding some sort of clue. Who knew? Maybe I'd find something today. Tomorrow. Next week. Maybe a couple of months.


	13. Review

**Sorry, boring chapter, but hopefully things will start speed up.****

* * *

**

Over the past three months my life had developed rapidly. Everything made sense and for once in my life there was some normality. It was like I now lived two separate lives. One was fairly normal; what my life should have been like. I could go about everyday life, just like anyone else. The other was filled with the supernatural. This life was impossible, abnormal. A place where anything could happen no matter how extreme. A daily routine had also occurred in my life over recent time. Each day was planned out and repeated again and again. Most people would want each day to be different, but when your life becomes so unstable you learn to appreciate the ability to actually predict what might happen on your average day. So I appreciated this new routine in my life.

I would normally wake up around 9am and hang around the house for an hour or two before getting ready to head outside. Now that I'd decided to stay in La Push, I thought I should bring some income into the house by getting a job and earn my keep. The local café was willing to take me on and even though it was only a small wage, I was perfectly happy working behind the counter. The only days I had off were the weekends and Thursdays, which wasn't bad as I only worked part time. So on the days when I wasn't working, I was spending my time with Mike.

It was astonishing how close we'd become in so little time, particularly as it took years for me to develop a good friendship with someone else. We did everything together as most friends did. Mike was up for anything, whether it was hiking in the vast forests of the Olympic Peninsula or exploring the little rock pools by the beach. If the weather was nice, we would take a picnic up to the cliff tops and play catch with each other. Though there was only so much to do in La Push. Every now and then we'd head up to Port Angeles to watch a film or do some shopping. Once I even drove him up to Seattle because he missed the bright lights of city life. But normally we would just hang around at First Beach or at the café. Being with Mike brought out my inner child. A much more happier, careless and laid back version of myself. The more time I spent with Mike the more my mother was eager to meet him. So when I brought him home to meet my family, I was surprised to find how much she approved of him and how well he got along with Seth. I was worried that they all wouldn't get along but clearly I had nothing to worry about.

"He's really cool." Seth had said, after Mike left that evening.

I also spent more time with my family than usual. In the evening I would relax at home and watch the T.V or help my mom prepare dinner. We would eat together as a family just like we used to before my dad died. Now I was bonding more with both my brother and my mom; something I couldn't do very well before now. There was never any arguments anymore. Of course I had my fair share of chores to do, but I did them willingly and time went by quite quickly. It was good for me to have some time at home before going on duty.

My patrol generally started at 7pm. Overall I'd missed one or two patrols and shockingly Jacob didn't get pissed or anything, even though he was concerned about this loose bloodsucker. I wasn't alone on my search either, I had Collin and Embry for company, but we focused more on our search than we did to each other. After so many weeks we still hadn't found the leech. Even the Cullens hadn't found the parasite terrorising Washington. The only proof was the occasional report of a gruesome death and the poorly disposed of corpse found soon after-- normally somewhere around Seattle, Olympia or Tacoma. Sometimes we'd find a trail, but it would lead into the ocean or disappear completely. The Cullens hoped that the menace would soon vanish, but the me and the rest of the pack was hoping different. It had been ages since we'd had a good brawl, if we found the bloodsucker then we'd be the ones having fun ripping the leech to pieces. But normally we'd find nothing and the six to seven hours of searching the forests went to waste.

I would arrive home--completely shattered--and trying not to wake anyone up, stumble into my bedroom and collapse onto my bed. Where I would fall into a deep sleep until the morning.

With the past three months over and done with, I started to think about the future and possible events. Halloween was nearby. Actually I found it to be a very pointless and childish tradition. As part of the supernatural world, I knew of creatures like vampires and werewolves/Children of the Moon. There was no point to placing a pumpkin outside my house because none of these creatures would be undermined by it. Another event on the horizon was my birthday. I never considered birthdays to be a major deal, as I had so many extra. But this I felt excited, firstly I would be spending this birthday with my family in almost eighteen years. Secondly this was going to be my first birthday with Mike.

I continued to lay in my bed and think of the possible outcomes of my birthday. For once I was far too giddy to fall asleep.


	14. Birthday

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"Gah!" I gasped, flicking my arm out of my bed, my fist hitting something hard. I pulled back my tingling hand and sat up to see Seth stumbling around my room, his hands clutching his stomach. It only took a second to realise that I'd hit him right in the gut. My duvet was spread all over the place, so I kicked it off impatiently and then stretched my arms and legs, yawning loudly as I did.

My brother was still cussing under his breath and was glaring at me scornfully. "What was that?" He snapped.

"That was self defense. Serves you right for sneaking up on me." I pointed out. "Now if you don't mind." I hinted, gesturing towards the door.

"Whatever." Seth mumbled as he walked out of my room.

I scrambled out of my bed and had a quick look around me. My room was still clean. Books on shelfs, papers in drawers, clothes folded neatly in a pile on the chair. I quickly exchanged my pyjama shorts for some old black combats and my vest top for a plain t-shirt and a hoodie, before rushing down the stairs and into the kitchen.

The smell of pancakes drifted around the small dining room, causing my stomach to growl. My mom was fixing up a special breakfast for me in celebration of my birthday. I waited impatiently as she poured the maple syrup over the plate full of pancakes. Finally she was finished and walked over to the table.

"Happy birthday honey." She said brightly, placing the plate in front of me.

Immediately I dug in. As I chewed, I glanced at Seth's breakfast. He was chewing on his toast, staring at my plate longingly. My mom disappeared for a second and then returned with a pile of presents and put them in front of me.

"Mom. You promised, no presents." I complained.

"I know but it's been ages since you had a birthday here." She explained, pushing the gifts further in my direction.

"Leave it mom, she doesn't appreciate anything nice you do for her." Seth cut in bitterly.

"You wuss. You've had much worse: broken collarbone, broken shoulder, broken arm." I jeered.

"Hey. That punch hurt." He muttered.

"What's this?" Mom interrupted us.

"Nothing. Seth scared me this morning and I ended up punching him." I shrugged.

Seth's disgruntled expression made me laugh, even my mom joined in. Things settled down then, I sighed hopelessly and reached for the first of my presents.

* * *

After unwrapping my presents--which included a new phone, a pair of trainers, a bag and about $200--I started to head back upstairs when the doorbell suddenly rang. I wheeled in the direction of the door and swung it open. Mike leaned against the wall with a big friendly grin on his face, his eyes twinkling with excitement. I smiled back.

"Hey birthday girl." He greeted me.

"You know it's not that big of an event." I reminded him of what I'd previously told him, rolling my eyes as I did.

"Your 21st? Course it's not." He mocked. My 39th I corrected in my head. Actually it really wasn't a big deal. But being 40 was. "So are we heading out?" Mike interrupted my train of thought.

"Sure." I replied, snapping back into reality.

* * *

I took Mike to one of my favourite spots. Whenever I needed time to think, this was the place to go. It was quite far from the trail, so no one else ever came here. We both sat on the damp, overgrown grass and gazed out at the tremendous view of La Push. The small brick-red houses were vaguely hidden by the tall evergreen trees. Black waves crashed onto First Beach and further out by the horizon I could see St. James' island where the dull grey sky met the ocean. The gentle cool breeze blew an odd aroma of Pine, Oak and Brine in our direction.

"Wow." Mike breathed, breaking the silence.

"Beautiful isn't it?" I murmured quietly.

"Well it is a nice view." He agreed. "But I wasn't talking about that." He whispered, looking at me meaningfully.

Blood rushed to my cheeks.

"So..." Mike continued awkwardly, "Do you want to see your present?"

I was about to protest but thought better of it, so I scowled at him instead.

His face suddenly lit up when he saw that I'd given in. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small, black bag. Then he carefully placed it on my outstretched hand. I glanced at Mike anxiously and pulled on the thin black rope. With a gentle shake of the satin bag the silver locket fell onto my palm.

I was stunned, literally I was unable to move or speak. The only thing I could do was stare at the trinket that lay in my hand. It had a thin metal chain and a small diamond resting above the crest. In the centre of the locket my name was carved in neat flowing handwriting, an intricate pattern of leaves framing it. I slowly undid the latch, then opened the locket to reveal two small empty frames. For a second time I froze.

"Turn it to the back." Mike said, peering at my present from behind.

I followed his instructions, only to find that the back was just as pretty as the front. Another elegant script was carved at the top of the oval shaped crest. I repeatedly read the words _"As free as running wolves"_ again and again. Below was a small carving of a wolf howling. Several feelings seemed to explode in my mind. Tears began to swell in the corners of my eyes. I forced my eyes away from my gift to look at Mike thankfully.

His face was only 6 inches away from mine. He stared deep into my eyes; searching for something. Something that he quickly found. I also found myself staring into his coffee brown eyes; it was like I could see directly into his soul. We had both moved closer so that our faces were now only an inch apart. Mike's breath suddenly paused as he closed his eyes and hesitated. I closed my eyes as well and slowly leaned in. Just as our lips were about to meet an urgent howl ripped through the air. I pulled away from Mike, stood up and started to gather my things. Of course Mike hadn't heard anything and stayed sat on the ground, watching me in confusion.

"Sorry" I mouthed at him, then I disappeared into the wood

* * *

**Sorry, I just had to throw in a cliffhanger there. Please Review!**


	15. Closer

Once I was out of sight, I quickly shoved everything into my backpack and phased. Before I could meet the others I had to dump my stuff at my house because I didn't want to burden myself with having to carry it around. It was bad enough that I had to carry the bag in my mouth just to take it to my house. When I reached the end my garden I wasn't surprised to see my mother pacing along the driveway. She was talking on the phone--probably to Billy--with a concerned look on her face. Maybe she was just trying to figure out what was going on. Carefully, I placed my bag down on the ground and then bolted into the woods.

As I sped through the forest I realised that no one thoughts filtered through my mind. It would have been useful for Jacob to say something now, but all I could hear were his wordless thoughts. The same went for Seth and Collin. They all had that same concern, fear and anticipation. Embry and Brady suddenly appeared in my mind. To my relief I wasn't the only one confused by the silence. We raced to meet the others, who were about seven miles from Forks, all of them waiting for the news in store.

When I arrived at the meeting place I noticed several things immediately; the awful sickly scent of a bloodsucker that caused my nose to burn, the blood that was smeared on the trees and the damp grass and also that several trees had been snapped in half. The others things I didn't notice until a few seconds later; the smell of torn apart flesh and the corpse that was laid against the tree, which the whole pack was surrounding.

I couldn't take my eyes away from the broken, mangled body. I felt sorry for the poor soul that had lost the rest of their life. The filthy leech that killed this person was getting closer and we had to do something about it.

"_You're right Leah." _Jacob agreed. _"We need to find this vampire and kill it before it reaches our own land."_

"_We would have to ask the Cullens about that though." _Brady interrupted.

"_Yes. But we might as well learn the scent and track it down. We'll start our search today. You will each follow a different trail, if you have a lead just howl." _Jake instructed. Ugh. So much for my birthday. _"Leah. You won't start until tomorrow. I know I promised that you could have your birthday off. Sorry." _

"_Thanks." _I replied and darted back towards my house.

* * *

After collecting my stuff from the back yard, I rushed into my house and went straight to the kitchen. The first thing I noticed was the note stuck to the fridge door. It was from my mother, saying that she'd gone up to Billy's for dinner. With the house empty I could do whatever I wanted. I grabbed the phone off the kitchen side and dialled Mike's number. I was surprised when the voicemail answered.

"Hey Mike, it's Leah. Look sorry about earlier. I need you to come to mine as soon as possible. It's urgent. Bye." I rushed. In hope that he would come, I ran into my bedroom.

Within a few minutes what was once my clean organised room had now been destroyed. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, the surface of the desk was covered by papers, books and a collection of photos. Each drawer had been opened, their contents now my bed. I rummaged through my wardrobe until, at last, I found what I was looking for. With a sigh relief I sat on my bed and placed my outfit neatly on my pillow before taking a look at my room. My mom was going to kill me. Hastily, I put everything back in it's place. I couldn't be too sure if everything was where it should be but as long as the floor was visible it's fine. Afterwards I pulled on my cream v-neck jumper and my skinny jeans. Just in time as well because a second later the doorbell rang.

Of course it was Mike. I would have been surprised if it was someone else. He looked slightly flushed, like he'd been running or something.

"Leah." He sighed. "I came as soon as I got your message. What's the emergency?"

"I'm in desperate need of getting out." I replied.

"What?!"

"Well it is my birthday and I don't want to be stuck indoors. I also need someone to go with." I explained.

Mike's concern disappeared in an instant and his usual big happy grin spread across his face. "Alright then. I was planning on taking you out anyway. What do you want to do?" He asked, clasping his hands together.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Surprise me."

Mike's eyes suddenly lit with excitement, his smile--though I thought it was impossible--grew wider, showing off his teeth. Honestly I wasn't bothered as long as I was with Mike. I whisked my bag off the dining room table, shoved my feet into a pair of black leather boots, grabbed my jacket and headed off towards Mike's car.


	16. Realisation

I had no idea where Mike was taking me. We spent three quarters of an hour driving along the freeway, until we finally made it to Port Angeles. As we drove further into the town centre it was obvious that we weren't going into any of the bold, bright clubs that were reeling in tons of youths in search of a good night out. I knew this because Mike couldn't drink and drive, plus he showed no sign of stopping here. My curiosity increased further as we hit the tourist-friendly-zone. These parts were filled with clubs, pubs and restaurants, that was normally filled with tourists who had no idea where else to go.

Eventually Mike pulled in and parked at the side of the road, somewhere near the pier. We got out of the car and started heading uphill towards the main road. The icy breeze raised goosebumps on my skin, though I couldn't feel the cold. Mike could and he shuddered when the wind repeatedly blew. All the buildings were lit up along the street, the mixture of light colouring the ground. Amongst the clear midnight sky, thousands of stars twinkled brightly. The moon was full and it's silvery beam shone across the city.

Suddenly Mike stopped outside a little restaurant called La Isla Bonita. I knew Spanish quite well so it was quite easy to translate the name of the restaurant as The Pretty Island. I glanced up at the sign--which was a bright yellow neon light--and then at Mike, who was waiting at the entrance.

"This is it." He said, holding the door open and gesturing for me to go in.

I immediately went inside, grateful for the warmer air, even if it was cool to my skin.

It was only a small restaurant, so it was reasonably quiet. Apart from us there were three other couples in the room. There was about twelve square tables--each covered with a golden table cloth, the cutlery already set out--that seated two people. Four chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a dim light across the room. "Wow" was the only word that could past through my lips. A podium stood just in front of us, the hostess--who was fiddling with the till--hadn't even noticed our arrival. Mike coughed impatiently and she got up and apologised, before showing us to our table.

Despite not eating anything since dinner, I didn't eat much. I only had a Paella with a Spanish Salad and Mike had some Tapas. We talked about previous birthdays and occasions, such as my sixteenth and last Christmas. There was a strange tension between us throughout the meal and with every minute that passed by, it grew stronger and stronger. When we'd both finished eating, Mike paid the bill to the hostess, while I gathered my things. We left the warmth of the cosy restaurant and headed back towards the car in the cold frosty night.

* * *

Mike drove his Mercedes Benz down the freeway with ease due to the lack of traffic. Meanwhile I leaned against the back of the seat and stared out the window, watching the forest pass by. I thought about the pack, still wondering whether they had found the reeking bloodsucker terrorising the area. They would be searching; looking for evidence. Maybe they were chasing the leech. What if someone got hurt? What if someone was facing the thing alone? And I couldn't do anything to help.

"Leah? What's wrong?" Mike asked, his face was concerned yet again, reminding me of earlier.

"Nothing. I was just thinking." I replied solemnly. Glancing anxiously around his car, I tried to avoid his eyes. Though I could see him in the dark, he couldn't see me and I was grateful for that. But I still felt uncomfortable when I looked at him.

"Why did you leave earlier? When we were about to...when we were in the woods?" He struggled to say the word, but I knew what he meant.

"Family issues. I can't really say anything more, it's kind of personal." I rushed. It was a terrible excuse but it was the only one I could think of.

"Oh. I thought it was because you didn't want to..." Mike trailed off, he didn't seem to believe my answer.

"Oh." was all I could reply.

The minutes stretched longer and longer; they almost seemed endless. Neither me or Mike spoke after that awkward moment. And as we continued down the road, the tension came back with a vengeance. The painful memory of leaving Mike in the woods repeated itself over and over in my mind, cutting a fresh wound in my heart each time it did.

Suddenly it came to me like a lightning bolt. I remembered the days that I'd spent with Mike. How happy I was being with him, how whenever he smiled it made me feel warm and fuzzy. Also my feelings of remorse, when I left him earlier today, and joy when he came to my house a few hours ago. I was falling for him. Nothing could make me doubt that. A warm, pleasant glow grew deep inside me as we parked outside my house.

Mike walked me to my front door. He never looked at me, instead he stared down at the ground. From the few glimpses that I got of his face, I could tell that something was bothering him. As I unlocked the door, he started to walk off. I spun round and pulled on his arm.

"Mike." I murmured.

There was no reply but he turned back round to face me.

I looked him in the eyes and continued. "I wanted to say something earlier, but I think it might be better if I showed you."

He raised an eyebrow incredulously. "And what was that?" He asked warily.

"This." I whispered, pulling him closer so that kiss I could him firmly on the lips.

Bewildered he kissed me back.

We kissed once, twice, three times. His fingers twisted in my hair and my arms wrapped around his waist. I kept pulling him closer to me, though his body was right against mine. Our lips met again and after another series of kisses, Mike pulled away. I frowned at him, confused and upset.

"Don't worry. But it's late and I've got to home before I freeze to death." He reassured me.

"I know." I sighed. Mike laughed, kissed me again and headed back to his car.

I continued to stand by the door, watching him drive away and disappear into the woods.

Hoping that I wouldn't wake my mother, I slammed the door shut and ran upstairs. As I prepared for bed, I couldn't help humming to myself as a flood of exultation ran through my veins. With a loud sigh, I collapsed onto my bed and reminisced the last couple of minutes that I spent with Mike.

* * *

**They kissed! So did you love it, hate it**

**Please review!**


	17. Danger

The following morning, I rushed around the house before heading down to Mike's. Last night had definitely freed me of the emotions that had been congregating inside me throughout the whole of yesterday. And now that we've both let out our true feelings, things have turned for the better. For once the world seemed to be working in my favor.

As I approached Mike's front door I was surprised to Mike standing there already, his arms were open and waiting for me. Instead of giving him a hug, I took his hand, the sudden disappointment that flashed across his face made me laugh.

"Hey." I grinned.

Mike tried to resist smiling back but he caved.

"So." I continued, "Where you expecting me or something?"

"Yes." He admitted.

"I've took some time off work. We could finish yesterday's picnic." I suggested innocently.

"We could." Mike agreed, "But unfortunately I have work today and I can't take time off."

"Ok then." I frowned, pulling my hand back so I could cross my arms.

"Well I'm gonna stay here for about another hour or so. You could stay until then."

I threw my arms around his neck and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

For the next hour I watched T.V in Mike's living room. Meanwhile Mike was rushing around the house gathering his equipment for work, ruffling my hair with every pass he made. Unfortunately time passed far too quickly and we both had to leave. With a hopeless sigh I waved Mike off as he drove out of the driveway.

* * *

It didn't take long for me to become bored. I ended up sitting on a piece of driftwood, staring out at the ocean. Apart from myself, First Beach was deserted. To make it worse each second dragged on and I still couldn't come up with something to do. For some odd reason I kept expecting Seth or Jacob to come and find me with some sort of emergency. Thinking of them I suddenly had an idea. Since the pack had to search for the leech without my aid yesterday, I would contribute today. Finally satisfied with the possibility of actually doing something I headed off towards the forest.

* * *

The instant that I was in the cover of the trees I stripped down and phased. I wasn't surprised to find that the whole of the pack was also searching the forest; everyone was focusing on finding the bloodsucker's scent, weaving through the trees as they did. I joined in with them. My thoughts drifted back to last night when me and Mike kissed. It was one of the happiest days of my stretched out life.

"_Ugh. Leah could please think of something different." _Jacob complained.

"_Just because I can't imprint on Mike doesn't mean it's gross.." _I snapped. _"Do you think I like seeing you and Renesmee snog each other's faces off all the time?_

Jacob didn't reply to my question but he snarled instead.

"_So are you and Mike are item now?" _Embry interrupted us, trying to keep the peace as always.

"_Yes we are and if none of you like it then tough." _I thought.

Surprisingly Seth hadn't mentioned anything, he just continued with his search as though he couldn't hear any of the argument. He still couldn't hide his concern for me though. There was no more thought after that; we all concentrated on tracking our wanted vampire instead.

Only minutes had passed by and now the whole pack was scattered across the state; Embry was somewhere near Oregon, I was down by Hoquiam, Jake was almost in Canada, Collin and Brady were on the outskirts of Olympia and Seth was just passing Seattle. There was still no signs of the parasite and I soon began to question the reason for doing this. We searched the forest night and day and haven't found much apart from an old trail or two, and as more days passed the chances of finding any kind of clue was quickly decreasing.

Suddenly my brother skidded to a halt, causing the mud to splatter everywhere.

"_Seth? What's up?" _Jacob asked in concern.

Seth didn't respond but he sniffed at the air and winced. Through the pack mind we could all smell the sweet sickly incense that came from the trail in front of Seth. It wasn't the scent of the vampire that we'd been tracking but it was certainly fresh. I didn't recognise who the scent belonged to but the others certainly.

"_Damn." _Embry thought.

"_This can't be good." _Collin stated.

"_She's back." _Jacob grumbled.

Confused and concerned I stopped and plopped down on my haunches._"Guys, would someone tell me what's going on?" _I whined impatiently.

"_Never mind that now Leah. Seth keep your guard, I'll be with you in a minute." _Jacob ordered, already sprinting in Seth's direction.

"_Jacob tell me." _I pleaded.

"_Remember at the bonfire, when we telling you about this vampire we killed?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Well he had a mate. We tried to fight her off as well but I'd guess that she's a very experienced fighter. I may not be right but I think the other vampire is connected." _He explained.

"_Shouldn't someone tell the Elders then?" _I suggested.

"_Yes. Collin, Brady and Embry head back home and tell my dad about our visitor." _

They followed Jacob's instructions whilst me and Seth stayed put.


	18. Revenge

Fear was now the dominant emotion in my mind. I raced through the forest--shooting past the trees like a bullet--in a hurry to meet with Jacob and my brother. They waited for me, watching the shadows with cautious eyes, responding to the slightest movements. Together we thought of ideas; solutions to our problems, knowing that with each passing second it was getting worse.

Now that they were remembering the past, I could see their memories of the vicious female bloodsucker. How she slaughtered dozens of hunters during open season--the papers claim that these deaths were due to a Grizzly--and how she injured Paul in the following fight. If she was seeking revenge then we did have something to be concerned about. For one there was less of us which meant she would be harder to fight off, secondly if she did have an accomplice that made things more difficult. We needed help.

"_The Cullens?" _Seth suggested.

"_Do they even know about her? They weren't here to help you last time." _I interrupted. I'd found them by then, so I dug my claws into dirt and stopped next to them, spiraling around like a car as I did.

"_True. But they're here now." _He thought back.

"_If you two are done having your sibling moment." _Jacob snapped, shutting us both up. _"Look I'll go tell them. I want you two to head back and watch La Push, when the others come you can widen the perimeter."_

"_You can't go on your own! You'll be an easy target and you won't have any backup." _I reasoned.

Jacob barked, _"Ha. It's better if I'm on my own, than either of you two. If anyone is most likely to survive a one on one fight against her it's me." _He pointed out, already sprinting through the forest before I could object.

Neither me or Seth liked this decision but it was the truth. We ran towards home without another word.

* * *

Both me and Seth ran the perimeter around La Push. We never took our eyes of the woods; always alert and aware. Jacob was absent because he must be telling the Cullens about our visitor. Hopefully they could help. Embry and the others still hadn't returned from seeing the Elders, which only made us more fearful. Though we were only a few miles apart, we weren't together. I hoped that the threat had vanished so that we could back home and forget about it, unfortunately that wasn't going to happen. I ran along the brim of the forest just at the edge of the cliffs, while my brother ran in the east, on the outskirts of the Reservation. From what I could see there wasn't anything suspicious lurking amongst the jade green trees but I double checked just in case.

Seth however found a fern that had been snapped in two. The scent of the first bloodsucker--the one we'd originally been tracking--lingered in the air. Concerned, I listened to my brother's surroundings, giving him an extra pair of ears. A twig suddenly suddenly from behind and a ghostly figure made a lunge for him. Seth spun round just in time to avoid the vampire's attack. In one quick movement he caught the leech's right arm with his teeth and heaved. The man cried in pain as Seth flung the arm into the bushes.

Meanwhile I sped through the forest as fast as I possibly could, howling as I did. Seth continued to rip his opponent apart with ease but he was too busy to see that he was about to be ambushed from the side. For the woman had arrived and she hid in the bushes; waiting to attack. In the instant that Seth turned his back on her, she leapt from her hiding place and grabbed his tail before throwing him into the trees. As he got back to his feet and charged at the woman, her partner had regained his balance and kicked Seth in the gut. In response Seth whipped back and tore at the remaining pieces of the man's disheveled body. The woman shook with anger and lashed out at my brother. With one sharp move she dislocated his left shoulder. He yelped in agony and I flinched at the echo of his soaring pain.

I pushed myself faster and even though the forest flashed by at an incredible rate it didn't seem fast enough. Seth braced himself for another blow and this time it was worse. She swiveled past him and took out both of his hind-legs; knocking him flat on the ground. A vicious smirk crossed her pale face as her foot made contact with his back; breaking his spine. Seth's agonised howl filled the air. At that moment I'd finally reached him and I didn't hesitate to attack. She stood over my brother, about to deliver the final blow, when I threw myself at her cold stone body, successfully tearing her hand off as I did. She landed on her feet and coiled herself up ready to spring.

My rage was uncontrollable, I glared at her with pure hatred. She glared back at me with black empty eyes. This time she made the first move by lunging for my throat but I dodged out the way and took off the rest of her disfigured arm. With a loud bang, she hit a fern causing it to break into two. I took advantage then and ripped her other arm away. She screamed in fury and kicked me back. I was stunned that someone so small could be so powerful.

Fortunately Jacob had phased and was now running to our aid. The best I could do was protect my brother and weaken her as much as possible before Jacob arrived. I made several swipes at her, occasionally ripping her clothes, but she fought back and I received one or two more blows to the chest. Jacob leapt out of nowhere and he caught her head between his teeth. He pulled and watched as her head fell to the ground.

Together, me and Jacob finished her off. After gathering every twitching limb, Jacob phased back and pulled out a lighter from his jean pocket. He set the pile of body parts alight causing a purplish smog to rise into the air along with the sickly incense that came with it.

With sudden panic I remembered my brother and rushed to his side. Seth--who had been howling his head off none stop--made an attempt to get up but his injuries were too severe. He couldn't move his hind legs, which led me to believe that he was paralysed. Jacob switched back to his wolf form and howled into the air. He looked at Seth and turned to me._"Leah could you try to calm your brother down." _.

"_Ok." _I nodded. _"Come on Seth you're gonna be fine, but you need to calm down." _I thought gently, although it didn't help because I was worried about him and he would know that.

Seth ignored my advice and carried on cussing; his thoughts were so loud that they rang through my head. The rest of the pack arrived on scene then and when Seth had calmed down and allowed us to carry him, we all made our way back home.

* * *

**Ok, I'm no good at fight scenes.**

**What do you think?**


	19. Aftermath

Sue and Billy were already waiting back home and came rushing out when they heard Seth howling in agony. Their eyes grew wide with fear as they took in the hectic scene. My mother tried to run to my brother's side as we gently laid him on the ground but Billy held her back by wrapping his arms around her waist. Jacob took charge and sent Collin and Embry to fetch Carlisle while the rest of us tried to persuade Seth to change back to his human form. He needed to phase back so that his broken bones would heal properly and we didn't want to cause a panic among the locals. It took a few minutes but he finally morphed back and instead of yowling the place down he now cussed at the top of his voice. The rest of us phased back as well and carefully carried him into the house and up into his room.

For the next few hours my house was packed. Apart from myself and Jacob, the whole pack was crammed into the tiny living room with Billy wedged in at the only available space left. Meanwhile Jacob stood by my bedroom door, listening to the various conversations that were taking place in the house. I sat on my bed, comforting and reassuring my mother, who was crying on my shoulder; staining my t-shirt with her tears. Occasionally we could hear the odd scuffle from downstairs as everyone fought for more room but that wasn't the sound we were listening for.

Next door Dr. Cullen checked how serious Seth's injuries were and gave him some medical aid. With Edward's help he placed attached several braces to my brother's body. I was surprised that Seth didn't cry out in pain but that might be due to amount of painkillers he'd been given. Instead he brought his sense of humour to the bleak scene by cracking a few jokes, causing both Edward and Carlisle to chuckle.

It wasn't long before they had done. Carlisle told us that Seth would have to be restrained to his bed for a few days but that he would be fine within a week. My mother insisted on repaying them somehow but they declined any offers she made. Once everyone had seen for themselves that Seth was fine, the house rapidly became empty. I were grateful for the peace and after I checked on Seth one last time, I shuffled off to my room and collapsed on my bed before falling asleep.

* * *

The sun filtered through the kitchen window; it's dazzling rays sparking off the sink. I was fumbling around the kitchen, frying up some bacon and eggs when my mother came down the stairs. She briefly watched me prepare the table before she rummaged through the cupboards herself. As I ate, I watched my mother wander around the kitchen, gathering some bread and butter for her own breakfast. It was too early for her to be up, the heavy purple bags under her eyes were proof enough. She needed to rest, not run around the house like a lifeless puppet.

"Leah?" My mother said softly. "Could you take this up to your brother for me?" She asked, handing me a tray full of food.

"Sure. No problem." I replied, already heading upstairs.

"Seth?" I called, nudging the door open.

"I'm awake." He croaked back, his voice hoarse from being asleep. I walked over to the window and opened the curtain; letting some light into the room. Seth was laid down in his bed with the duvet thrown over him, he grimaced as I took in the braces that were strapped allover his body.

"Mom's made you some buttered toast." I said, placing the tray on the bedside table.

"Thanks." He muttered, reaching for a slice of toast.

"I thought you couldn't move."

Seth rolled his eyes. "I'm only paralysed below the hip, I can still move my arms." He looked at me with sudden concern. "How about you? Are you ok?"

"Me? Not a scratch. Besides you shouldn't be worried about me, take care of yourself first." I chided him.

"Ok." Seth replied, shoving his toast into his mouth. "Happy now?"

"No. You spat your crumbs at me!" I cried in mock anger.

We both burst out into laughter then, disrupting the quietness of the morning.


	20. Promise

Work. The most abysmal place on Earth. I stood by the counter and waited for the remaining twenty minutes of my shift to end. Apart from myself there was five other people in the café, I eavesdropped into their conversations as I waited for the remaining minutes to pass. Their lives seemed so simple; normal issues, normal friends, normal families. Yet they longed for fantasy, something magical. I would happily trade. Something normal was rare in my life.

As if to contradict me, Mike suddenly walked through the doors. Living proof that I did have something normal.

"Hey." Mike said cheerfully, grabbing a stool in front of me.

I smiled back half-heartedly "Hey. Look I finish in five minutes, so you wouldn't mind waiting on the beach for me?"

"Sure." He replied, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Thanks."

* * *

Minutes later I was on my way to the beach and everything that had recently happened came flooding back into my mind. Overwhelmed by all the emotions that I'd managed to keep bottled up over the past two days, I stumbled onto the beach, clutching my head in my hands. Unable to bear anymore I collapsed on the spot and began to cry.

Mike found me moments later. He helped me up off the ground and held me in his arms. Meanwhile I leaned onto his shoulder and continued to sob.

"What's wrong?" Mike asked worriedly, peering down so he could look into my eyes.

I avoided his stare by looking down, "Nothing." I replied, my voice hoarse from crying.

He sighed exasperatedly and took hold of my face; forcing me to look up at him, "I know there's something wrong and there's no point in denying it otherwise you wouldn't be like this."

"Give me a minute." I muttered. I didn't have enough time to make up a reason; so I told him some of the truth, "I'm worried about Seth. I would be at home right now but my mom practically shoved me out the house."

Mike frowned, "Why what happened?"

"He was involved in an accident yesterday. I was there and I saw how bad he was injured and for one moment I thought he was..." I said rushing through my words, unable to say the end of my sentence.

Mike's eyes widened, "Is he all right? How bad is he...?"

"Dr. Cullen came round...he said that he'd...broken several bones...and that...that he was very lucky." I replied, crying into his chest again.

Mike didn't reply but rubbed my back comfortingly.

* * *

It was a few minutes before I stopped crying. I noticed that it'd started raining and I eagerly let the cool refreshing raindrops splash on my face.

"Isn't your face wet enough?" Mike asked, raising his eyebrows. A small smile flashed across his face, but it didn't reach his eyes as usual.

I sighed, "How long have I been crying?"

"About fifteen minutes."

I stared out at the ocean. "Man I feel so helpless. I should have done more to help."

"You couldn't have done more and it was more than enough." Mike disagreed.

"You don't know the half of it." I scoffed.

"Well, no matter how hard it is, I promise to help through it." He said, looking at me meaningfully.

I smiled, "I know."

He smiled in response and leaned down to kiss me.

* * *

**Did you like it? Well that was the last chapter of this story. But don't worry, I'm planning on doing a sequel. : D**


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